Riding-saddle.



' No.'662,564. Patented Nov. 27, I900.

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mums SADDLE.

(Application filed Dec. 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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FRANK O. HICKS, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

RIDING-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 662,564, dated November 27, 1900.

Application filed December 4, 1899. Serial No. 739,145. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK O. HICKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Riding-Saddle, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to riding-saddles,and more particularly to that class of'saddles employed by cowboys throughout the West and,

commonly termed stock-saddles. As these saddles have heretofore been made the jockeys have terminated slightly below the seat portion, while the leg guards or fenders have been secured to project from beneath the j ockeys. The result of this construction is that the lower edges of the jockeys cu rl outwardly and upwardly, and thus are in a position to chafe the breeches or leggings of the rider and at the same time make the rider saddle-sore.

The object of the present invention is to provide a saddle in which the seat portion, the oantle-cover, and the leg-guards are formed of a single piece of leather, so that the jockeys are omitted, the stirrup straps being laced or otherwise secured to the lower ends of the leg-guards.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which similar numerals of reference designate like and corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a stock-saddle embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the seatcover, leg-guards, cantle-cover, and jockeys are formed and showing the stirrup-straps connected therewith. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and showing a leg-guard, a portion of the tree, the manner of attaching the stirrup-strap to the leg-guard, and the means for adjusting the stirrupstrap.

Referring now'to the drawings, 5 repre sents the body portion of a saddle com prising a tree of usual construction, to which are attached the usual skirts or flaps 6 and 7.

The tree of the saddle in the present instance includes a pommel 8, a cantle 9, and a seat 10, the seat being provided with padding and additional padding being secured to the under side of the tree in the usual mannor for direct contact with the horse. The pommel portion of the tree is provided with a covering 11, of leather, in the usual manner,

and this leather extends rearwardly upon the front portion of the seat. Upon the seat there is disposed a covering 12, of leather, which is shown in detail in Fig. 2 of the drawings and which comprises a central or seat portion adapted to fit upon the seat of the tree, a rear extension .13, which fits upon the front face of the cantle, and leg-guards 15, which are continued downwardly and are of the usual length of this portion of a saddle, the jockeys being omitted. After this covering has been placed upon the tree the front edges of the seat portion are tacked down in the usual manner and are ornamented with rosettes 16, from which fly streamers. Corresponding rosettes 17, with streamers, are secured at the rear edges of the seat portion, and the covering is seen red to the cantle by a binding 18, of leather, in the usual manner.

In the present construction of saddle the stirrup-straps 20 are each formed in two layers of leather, the layers at one end of which are separated and have the lower front edge of one of the leg-guards placed therebetween. Perforations are then formed through the ends of the layers and the inclosed portion of the leg-guard at each side of the saddle, and through the cooperating perforations at each side there is passed a lacing 21, of buckskin, leather, or other suitable material, by means of which the stirrup-strap is firmly sewed in place. The opposite end of each stirrupstrap is passed through a stirrup 22 and is then taken upwardly and under the leg-guard and is adjustably connected with a strap end 25. This strap end 25 is engaged through an opening in the tree, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and is provided with a plurality of perforations 27. The stirrup-strap 20 is likewise perforated, and through the perforations of the strap 20 and strap end 25 there is passed a lacing 28, by means of which the stirrup-strap may be held at the proper adjustment, this lacing furnishing a means for readily detaching the stirrup-strap to properly adjust it.

From the above description it will be seen that with the present invention there are no outwardlycurled portions,that there is no pos sibility for the leg-guards and stirrup-straps to become twisted or displaced, and that the entire structure provides a simple and efficient construction ofsaddle and one in which the wear upon the clothing of the rider is re-- duced to a minimum.

While the stirrup-strap is shown as secured directly to the leg-guard, it will of course be understood that the usual arrangement of stirrup-straps engaged with a ring upon the tree may be employed.

What is claimed is 1. In a saddle, the combination with a tree, of a covering fixed thereon and comprising a seat port-ion and leg-guards formed integral, stirrup-straps connected directly to and suspended from the leg-guards and tree, and stirrups carried by the straps.

2. A saddle comprising a tree and a cover fixed thereon, said cover including a seat portion and leg-guards formed integral, and stirrnps connected with the leg-guards and tree.

3. A saddle comprising a tree and a cover fixed thereon, said cover including a seat portion and leg-guards formed integral, perforations in the leg-guards, stirrup-straps having perforations adapted to aline with those of the leg-guards, and lacings passed through the alining perforations said stirrup-straps being connected also with the tree.

4. A saddle comprising a tree and a cover fixed thereon, said cover including a seat portion and leg-guards formed integral, stirrupstraps each having one end connected with the tree and the opposite end bifurcated and inclosing a portion of the adjacent leg-guard, alining perforations formed through each legguard andthe adjacent stirrup-strap, and lacings engaging the perforations.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK O. HICKS.

Witnesses:

H. H. SMITH, E. W. REORDON. 

